TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

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The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook If you’re dealing with unweaned kittens, have bottlefeeding formula on hand just in case you don’t get the mother right away. “Kitten Milk Replacement” formula, also known as “KMR,” is available at many pet stores. Pregnant cats A cat’s gestation period is approximately two months. During the early part of a pregnancy, before the belly begins to swell, there is no way to tell visually that the cat is carrying kittens and this may not be discovered until the actual spay. If a cat is known to be pregnant, then she can be (1) trapped, aborted and spayed, (2) trapped and allowed to give birth in a confined situation, or (3) not trapped (or released if she inadvertently is caught) and allowed to give birth outdoors. Depending on the experience and comfort level of the veterinarian, cats can be safely spayed right up until the last days. You’ll need to discuss this with your clinic or veterinarian to find out what their policies are. Whether to abort is a decision for the caretaker. For religious or other personal reasons, some caretakers may deem abortion unacceptable. Consideration should be given to the current severe overpopulation of cats and the reality that adding more kittens may mean other cats already alive will not find homes and will be euthanized. If the decision is not to abort, then the choice is whether to foster the mom, let her give birth in a cage and raise her kittens while confined, or let her give birth outdoors and try to catch the family later. Certainly, having the mom give birth indoors in a secure environment will be much safer for the kittens. The mortality rate for feral kittens is quite high. They can succumb to anemia induced by fleas, are susceptible to disease because their immune systems are undeveloped, may be the victims of other predatory animals, are more likely not to overcome common hazards such as traffic, and so on. The mom can be kept in the Feral Cat Setup (Chapter 11), then when the litter is old enough, spay and release the mom and adopt out the kittens. Cats who avoid the trip plate On occasion, you may come upon a particularly bright feline who knows not to step on the trip plate, cardboard extender or no. She will tiptoe around the plate, step over it, or lean over far enough to grab the bait in her mouth. If you see a cat in a trap who has avoided the trip plate and is calmly eating, slowly walk over towards the trap. Don’t rush over and cause the cat to panic, because then she may never return. Move slowly, causing her only to become concerned enough that she’ll stop eating and exit. Often on the way out, the cat will step on the trip plate. If she doesn’t, then after she’s a comfortable distance away, cover the trip plate and the cardboard extender with a sheet of newspaper, so she can’t see where the plate is next time in. If she still evades the plate, again walk towards her so she exits. Then take a stick and push it through both long sides of the trap just in front of the trip plate and a few inches off the ground. The cat will have to step over the stick to reach the bait, landing on the plate hidden by the newspaper. 55
• Hard-to-catch cats The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook The goal of every caretaker should be to get her colony 100 percent neutered. This alone ensures no more kittens and peace of mind. But many colonies have one or two cats who just won’t go in a normal box trap, no matter how long you deprive them of food or how many different types of bait you try. For these stubborn holdouts, there are a variety of battle-tested special techniques described below. Don’t try using a net or graspers to catch a feral cat. These are difficult to use and dangerous if you actually succeed in grabbing the animal and then have to transfer him into a cage or trap. They should be used only by trained veterinary or animal control professionals. Tranquilizers also should not be attempted. A cat could wander off after ingesting the drug and get seriously injured as it’s taking effect. In addition, you might not be able to locate the cat after the sedation took hold. Dart guns on an animal as small as a cat are a particularly bad and hazardous idea. Try one of these methods instead: Drop trap The drop trap designed by Laura Burns of HubCats in Boston, Massachusetts, is an excellent tool for finally catching that cat you’ve been after for five years. The trap works by falling down over a cat – the cat does not have to enter it, but only walk under. As a result, the drop trap does not trigger a cat’s natural wariness of entering a confined space and in most hard-to-catch cases, it will work. Laura herself uses the drop trap to catch all the cats in a colony, not just the difficult ones. Because it is such a valuable and efficient tool, Chapter 9 is devoted to its use and construction. Training the cat to go in a box trap If a box trap can be left in the territory for one to two weeks, cats can be trained to enter it to eat. Begin by securing the front door of the trap into an open position. Do this by running a stick or rod through both sides of the trap just below the open front door or by tying the front door into an open position with wire. Place the trap near the feeding station. If the location is accessible to strangers, remove the rear door of the trap and take it with you. This way, no one can come and set the trap and cause any harm. Loosely tape a piece of clear thick plastic over the rear door frame. The idea behind the plastic is to prevent the cat from entering the trap through the rear, but allow a cat who should not have been trapped to easily break through and get out. Lock the trap to an immovable object with a chain, if necessary. The first day, place a plate of food a few inches in front of the trap’s front entrance. Keep placing the food at this spot until you see it’s being eaten. Then move the plate to just inside the trap. Again, wait until you see the cat is eating from this position, then move the plate a few inches further in. Continue this process until the cat is going far enough in to step on the trip plate. Then set the trap. This training method should not be used if the area is too public and the risk of theft or vandalism is high. 56
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The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook
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Contents The Neighborhood Cats TNR
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Foreword The Neighborhood Cats TNR
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Page 11 and 12: The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook
Page 35 and 36: 6. Winter Shelter The Neighborhood
Page 45 and 46: 8. Trapping The Neighborhood Cats T
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Page 69 and 70: • Directions for use by Laura Bur
Page 73 and 74: 10. Caring for Cats in Traps The Ne
Page 91 and 92: 13. Return to the Colony The Neighb
Page 93 and 94: 14. Relocation & Sanctuaries • Re
Page 107 and 108: 16. Feral Cat Resources Neighborhoo
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TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

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